The last Templar
by jpc19950401
Summary: While transversing the eternal sands of Purgatory, the legendary Dante Alighieri meets a peculiar girl with black hair and silver eyes.


"_**I did not die, and yet I lost life's breath"**_

The howling of gelid gales filled his ears and froze his limbs.

The cries of the damned had become a constant in this journey, always present, never resting; At some point, he had become used to them, going as far as to ignore them just so he wouldn't lose his mind feeling pity for those poor souls trapped in the abyss.

His body was aching; A pain he hadn't felt before, no even when he ran an entire night in the deserts of Jerusalem, chasing after the remnants of the heretic army of Salah ad-Din: His muscles felt like leather, his bones cracked, his skin was brittle, and he was sure a single breath would turn him into dust. And yet, Dante Alighieri remained on his feet; His brown and stern eyes glared defiantly at the prince of darkness with nothing but contempt and determination: Victory was within reach but he was well aware his enemy was not one to be underestimated, even if all the odds were in his side.

After all, if there was something Lucifer excelled in, that was lies and deceit.

"Wait!" The demon called, pinned down by the scythe of the Reaper "There is just one last minor detail with which I owe to make you familiar…" He said with a condescending grin, his hand showing him a mirror of light floating just above the path to Purgatory.

The holy warrior narrowed his eyes at the great betrayer but he supposed he could humor Lucifer in one last little affair of his. After all, Beatrice had been saved and he had managed to foil his escape… And on the inside, he felt this vision held the last secret he ignored, a sharp an annoying sting telling him he was ignoring the final piece of this nightmare. Sparing one last nasty glare to the demon, he walked towards the mirror and gazed in its brilliant surface witnessing a scene he knew very well.

He saw himself fighting in Jerusalem, holding his trusty halberd resting in his hands. A few moments later, a shadow fell behind his back, brandishing a small knife. The shadow pounced on the distracted crusader and buried the malicious blade in his back: At this point, everything was as Dante remembered… But then, something deviated from his memories: Instead of seeing himself fighting and killing the Reaper sent by Lucifer, he fell to the ground…

And moved no more.

"It-It can't be…" Horror filled his eyes as realization hit him harder than any atrocity he had fought across the Nine Circles.

"You are dead, Dante!" The former angel of light claimed, picking himself up as the scythe disintegrated "You can't go anywhere: Not a single soul may leave this place! It is forbidden!" Lucifer stood right in front of him "By him…" He told him pointing up, his voice filled with boredom and disappointment. Slowly, he got himself closer and whispered in utter disgust "I am so sick of you…" He pulled away and walked towards the mirror leading to Purgatory " I will reclaim my rightful place in paradise: My path will be paved with the sins of man… And yours Dante, shall be the bedrock of my return! And all that is good shall be gone from the universe forever!" He claimed, his voice reaching the Nine circles of Hell.

"Not yet…" The demon narrowed his eyes and turned to glare at the human. Only to find himself widening his eyes as he witnessed his cross shining with pure holy light "I have collected many souls across this pilgrimage; Souls that I have freed from this Inferno and together, they now possess the power to free me!" He lifted his arms and looked up "Father! Mother! Brothers! Absolve me!" At his command, a torrent of souls erupted from his chase, filling the entire room with light.

"This… This power, Dante! We can use it together!" The devil spoke with honeyed words, his eyes seeing the immense potential in this lowly human "You and I, my friend! Just think what we could achieve!"

"I would rather not…" Dante answered, his voice filled with poison.

"Dante… I can reunite you with Beatrice." Lucifer proposed, a sadistic smirk crossing his lips "Together, we would rule the three kingdoms of the afterlife!"

"It's not going to happen…"

As if following his words, the souls began circling around the king of hell, slowly lifting him from the ground, keeping him helplessly hovering in front of Dante. The warrior grabbed the cross bearing the last remnant of the Messiah, glowing with gold light, ready to unleash divine punishment on the first fallen angel. With a mighty thrust, the warrior sent Lucifer inside his carcass, the souls following suit and closing the gap in its chest. Suddenly, the terrible behemoth came to life and watched in horror as the souls froze on his arms, once again bounding him to the gelid currents of Cocytus.

"NOOOOOO!" The great betrayer roared, his ram-like eyes glaring one last time at Dante before they closed, once again falling into its tormenting slumber, forever trapped in the deepest and coldest circle in Hell.

Then, the souls flew high and slammed into the mirror in the middle of the room, opening the gate for Dante.

The Crusader stared at the bounded Demon one last time before he stood atop of the mystic crystal: In it, he could see himself staring at his reflection, standing on a grey desert.

And suddenly, the cold embrace of Cocytus and the cries of the damned were gone: Instead, his ears were greeted with the soft and gentle kiss of wind, his eyes gazed on the eternal landscape that was Purgatory; An empty space devoid of pain but also devoid of joy.

"_Dante…"_

He turned and watched his bellowed Beatrice, floating in a cloud of white smoke, a gentle smile adorning her lips.

"_I will be waiting…"_

And she vanished. Leaving Dante alone in Purgatory.

But despite this, The Holy warrior smiled peacefully.

After all, he may have been forgiven but there were things he had yet to redeem himself of: Sins he had to atone for; Debts he had to pay; Responsibilities he had to take; Forgiveness he had to earn.

And yet, he felt relieved: The cross he had stitched to his chest was charred, proof of his redemption. With a grunt, he pulled on the darkened fabric and discarded it, the sands of Purgatory burying in mere seconds, forever lost in its eternity.

The Crusader breathed deeply and began the long trek through the second kingdom of the afterlife. He did not know how long it would take but that was none of his concern: His beloved was safe and Lucifer was trapped once again in Hell, away from the mortal and immortal planes. Slowly, his worries faded and were replaced by nothing but peace.

"I will be there, Beatrice…" He whispered with a soft smile and was lost in the dunes of the land of purification.

* * *

He could not tell how much time had passed ever since: There was neither day nor night in this desert. His footprints were erased as soon as he created them and he had no way of knowing which way he was going. But even when his destination was not certain, he kept on walking, the voice of his beloved Beatrice fueling his determination. After all, in comparison to the horrors he had encountered in hell, this was but a literal walk in the park.

His musings were interrupted when something caught his attention: A dark dot in the distance.

The Crusader stopped to stare at this peculiar apparition. As far as he was concerned, he had yet to see a mirage waltzing across the dunes. Following this premise, it was safe to assume, there truly was something in the distance. And yet, he felt unsure about what to do next: There was no guide to teach him the rules of Purgatory like Virgil had done during his journey in hell. Dante was alone now, his thoughts and Beatrice's cross the only possessions he carried in his person alongside what was left of his templar armor.

There were two choices: Investigate this apparition or ignore it. A simple choice and yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he was omitting, something of extreme importance. Frustrated, he grabbed the golden cross and offered a small prayer, hoping for a divine sign to guide him in his doubt. The artifact hummed, offering consolation to the warrior. Not the answer he was looking for but Dante couldn't help but smile softly.

Putting the cross away in one of his pouches, the Crusader stared at the black dot and sighed.

"I have faced the horrors hiding at the depths of the abyss… What is one more trial but a rock in my path?" He mused and began heading towards the dot.

As the distance shrunk, Dante was able to make out the shapes of the mirage: It was a dark forest. Humongous trees he hadn't seen before extended as far as he could see, its branches creating an impenetrable ceiling, blocking the whatever was giving light to this world. The warrior stared at the dark wood, his eyes narrowing at how utterly bizarre and out of place this apparition looked in comparison to the eternal dunes of Purgatory. He stood at the edge of the vegetation, sharpening his eyes and ears, attempting to discover any indication of malice waiting for him in the impenetrable darkness.

The cross hummed once again reassuringly and the Crusader sighed and shook his head; Steeling his resolve, Dante crossed the borders and ventured into the unnatural jungle he had found in his way.

* * *

"In the middle of the journey of my afterlife, I came to myself within a wood of dark where the straight path was lost…" The Crusader recited tiredly "Ah! How hard a thing is to tell what a wild, stubborn, and rough wood this was…" He lamented as he transversed through the unruly and treacherous forest he had foolishly wandered into.

He sighed at his naivety, already aware of how subjective the three kingdoms of the afterlife were and berating himself for falling into whatever this place was. Then again, it looked like a sound idea at the time.

"No use crying over spilled milk" He supposed "There ought to be a reason why my steps took me to this peculiar place." Dante reasoned.

After a while, the dark trees began decreasing until the Crusader found himself standing on a clearing where not even grass grew. Dante looked left and right, surprised the environment had changed drastically; As his gaze studied the new landscape, he spotted something that gave him pause: A sight so bizarre and unexpected he froze in place, doing his best to not lose his mind at the absurdity of the thing in front of his eyes.

There, sleeping atop a simple white bed, was a young girl with long black hair, wearing some ridiculous garments. She couldn't be older than ten to thirteen years old. Certainly, a sight he had never expected to see in the dunes of Purgatory.

The sight filled him with sadness, knowing a child had embarked on the long pilgrimage that was purification; He wished there was a way to tell how much time a soul had spent trekking through the eternal sands. Maybe that way, he could offer consolation and words of determination should the youth had just started her journey. Slowly, he approached the little child and studied her form: She was short and petite, wearing a particular dress that did little to hide her blossoming womanhood. Then again, his chest had been bare to the world to see since he passed through the gates of the city of eternal damnation. Not the best choice of clothes considering the creatures he had been fighting but in the end, it hadn't meant a thing.

The girl stirred in her sleep and turned to the side, shivering slightly. The Crusader noticed this and rounded the bed, finding a plain white sheet lying on the ground. Gently, he covered the girl, hoping it would be enough to ward away the coldness. He found it weird since he hadn't felt a thing before but he guessed he was already used to it: After surviving the frozen landscape that was Cocytus, it would take an extremely low temperature to make him shiver slightly.

Soon after the sheet was laid above her body, the girl stopped trembling and began breathing peacefully.

The Crusader smiled softly and sat, resting his back on the bed's side: He had no need for sleep but he guessed he could enjoy a little nap while he waited for the girl. This had been a lonely journey so he found himself craving for company after so long: And in all honesty, he was curious to hear the girls tale, find out why she was traversing Purgatory, and discover what awaited for her in God's kingdom above the clouds. The cross hummed warmly and Dante smiled softly, closing his eyes and surrendering himself to a dreamless and light sleep.

A soft rustling got him out of his slumber.

Blinking a few times, he yawned and rose to his full height, cracking his neck and back, relishing in the satisfactory pops coming from his joints and bones. Once he was done with his ritual, he turned to greet the girl.

"Greetings, child. I mean no harm to your well being." He spoke gently, making sure to smile as best as he could "I am known as Dante Alighieri, a Crusader from Florence, and a redeemed soul walking these eternal dunes, waiting to cleanse my being of every impurity and sin I committed in life. If it isn't too much to ask, I would be delighted to know thine name."

Silence, and a pair of grey blank eyes were his answer. Dante frowned, feeling slightly put off by the way the girl was staring at him; It reminded him of the lost souls he had seen on recently deceased: Eyes filled with nothingness, devoid of life and light.

The kind of eyes you see in corpses.

The two remained staring at each other before the girl finally answered

"Ophis" Was all she said.

"Ophis?" The Crusader tasted her name, finding it foreign in nature "I see… It is a peculiar name: Unusual in nature but pleasant, like music sang during a midsummer picnic." The girl blinked owlishly and the Crusader chuckled sheepishly "Ah! Look at me: Rambling like an old man. Then again, I guess at this point in time, I have already exceeded any mortal lifespan by a long shot." He said with a melancholic smile, staring at the dark forest surrounding them "Anyhow if it isn't too much to ask, Could you..." He hesitated, aware a youngling like her may not take his next question fondly "Could you tell me how you came to be here?" The girl stared at him, his gray eyes not betraying anything. The Crusader frowned, knowing full well there were things one simply couldn't ask: After all, nothing was more intimate than asking someone how they died. Although he was not one of them, there were some that would rather not disclose that kind of information, especially to a complete stranger. His had been a tragic but well-deserved end: Stabbed in the back by the man whose wife he had soiled. Some others, like Francesco, had suffered and unfair end. His beloved Beatrice had perished in hopelessness and desperation, waiting for his return from Jerusalem. He cursed his tactless question but it was the only way he knew to connect with the youth and in the future, support her as the two transversed the eternal dunes, waiting for their turn to ascend into heaven.

"I was craving for silence…" She suddenly spoke, surprising the Crusader "This place looked just fine for me: As quiet and empty as the Dimensional Gap. That is until you came and disturbed my solitude…" She said somewhat irritated.

Well… That was not the answer he was looking for: He was expecting some tragic story of how the girl had left the world or a simple and harsh dismissal. Instead, he was given a ridiculous answer and a term he had never heard before.

How troubling.

But then again, this Ophis was the first contact he had in god-only-knows how long, so he was willing to ignore certain oddities.

"I-I see… Then, I apologize for intruding in your… Uh, quest for solitude?" To his surprise, the girl nodded "In that case, I suppose I should take my leave: If it is your intention to do this journey alone, I will respect your wishes." It was kind of sad to part ways but he was not going to antagonize the youth: There had to be a good reason why she would rather do this pilgrimage on her own but he was not going to pry any further without her consent; Some wounds are better left alone so they can heal faster. "Farewell, Lady Ophis: May God and his blessings be with you." He nodded to her and turned to leave but found himself stopping when a small and delicate hand latched onto his own. He turned to see the girl staring at him with something he couldn't quite understand "Lady Ophis? What seems to be the matter?"

The girl blinked again and for the first time, Dante was able to recognize a single feeling in that otherwise blank visage: Confusion.

"I don't know…" She admitted, looking at her hand grabbing his "As you were leaving, I felt… I felt as if something I've been craving for was vanishing: Something warm and soothing…" She finished, confusion clear in her eyes.

"Something warm and soothing…" The Crusader repeated. Weirdly enough, he felt like he could understand her: He had the answer at the tip of his tongue but no matter how hard he tried, it evaded him completely. It was frustrating since he was sure he knew the answer. And all of a sudden, a ray of understanding crossed his mind "Oh! Are you mayhaps speaking of this?" He asked, showing her the Cross.

Suddenly, her eyes widened as she stared at the golden relic that accompanied him on his journey: Even after being exposed to the filth of hell, it shone more brightly than any star in the night sky, proof of its heavenly origin.

"This… What is this?" She asked bewildered, her hand resting on the smooth surface of the holy artifact "It feels… Good."

"It is a gift from my beloved one, Beatrice" He answered fondly "A treasure that has helped me during my Crusade warding evil spirits, absolving souls in penance, and purifying the taint from hell." Knowing she meant no harm, Dante allowed the girl to hold the golden Cross in her frail hands "According to the legends, it is said the cross possesses a thorn from the Messiah's crown of thorns" At his words, the girl stiffened but Dante didn't notice "In Beatrice's words, it cleanses the unclean and brings hope for the hopeless. A gift born from love and forgiveness, and the only thing I have left to remember her."

"Is it that important?" The girl asked, a peculiar glint adorning her gray eyes.

"Yes, it is…" He answered, smiling gently.

"I see… Then, take care of it." She told her, giving him the Cross. "That woman, Beatrice; Where is she?"

"In her rightful place: Heaven. I am actually making my way there but first, I must rid myself from my past sins and transgressions by wandering in the purifying sands of Purgatory. I ignore how much time I've been here but eventually, I will reach my final resting place and spend the rest of eternity by her side."

"Why can't you go to her right now?"

"Uh… I already said so: I must cleanse myself for my past transgressions and sins. It is not something I can rid myself of."

"Is there any way for you to skip this troublesome stuff?" She asked, making him blink in bewilderment.

"S-skip? As far as I am concerned, no…" But as he answered, a peculiar scene played in his mind "On second thought, there is one: An angel must come for me and take me to Heaven." The girl perked at his answer and gave him her full attention "Back in Hell, my beloved Beatrice was taken by the Archangel Gabriel to Heaven. I suppose that method may apply to anyone."

"So you only need to find that small fry and ask him to take you to Beatrice, no?"

"S-Small fry?!" Dante parroted, utterly scandalized by the downright insulting way the girl was referring to such a holy entity.

"Yes, Small fry. I could deal with him easily…" Suddenly, he began inspecting him thoroughly "And by the looks of it, you could do it as well."

"W-Wha…!?"

"Anyhow, I will help you find Gabriel." To his surprise, she gave him a small smile he was not expecting "Consider it an expression of gratitude; For showing me something pure and worthy." She finished, snapping her fingers.

Suddenly, a tear in the fabric of reality opened behind him right behind her: The phenomenon pulsed with an energy he had never felt before. A gale of wind hit Dante right in the face and made him recoil, unable to understand what just happened.

"What sort of sorcery is this?!" He yelled in shock, shielding his face from the phenomenon "What matter of creature are you?!"

"I am Ophis." To his horror, the voice came right beside him. He turned around to see the creature staring at him with those blank eyes "It is who I am and who I will always be. But across the years, I have been given many names by others: Dragon of Infinity, Ouroboros Dragon, Infinite Dragon God, and there are some who consider me the Strongest Existence. Those are names I never cared nor wanted to have but accepted nonetheless."

"You…" Dante was frowning and glaring daggers at the… Thing in front of him. What he believed to be a frail-looking youth was, in reality, something far more powerful… But oddly enough, he couldn't feel an ounce of malice emanating from her eyes. "What is your objective?"

"I already said it: I will help you find Gabriel so you can ask her to take you to Beatrice." She said, her smile still adorning her lips "In exchange, I only ask you to allow me to follow you. Nothing more, nothing else."

"Why would a being as powerful as you would ask for my permission?" He asked harshly.

"I'm doing it out of courtesy. In fact, you should be grateful: I know a few Dragons who would simply do whatever they wanted." To his surprise, she once again grabbed his hand gently "And if I am honest with myself, I don't wish to upset you: I can sense a peculiar glint in you I've never seen before: It is not something humans are born with or given by some higher entity but rather a brilliance they earn through courage and sacrifice." She smiled warmly at him "I wish to witness what a man such as yourself can accomplish."

There was no malicious intent in her words or her smile. Dante could tell everything she had told him was the truth: A part of him wanted to lash out, push away this unnatural entity and run away as fast as he could… But as the cross hummed from his pouch, he simply sighed and closed his hand over hers.

"I accept your help." He told her determined.

"Excellent… Now, if you'll excuse me…" Suddenly, the girl lifted her arms towards him "So, what are you waiting for?"

"I beg your pardon?" He asked, sorely confused again. The girl said nothing and simply stared owlishly at the Crusader. Dante stared at her in disbelief before something clicked in his mind: Sighing again, he gently picked her up and allowed the girl to rest in his arms. Ophis then latched onto his neck and rested her head on his shoulder "Happy?"

"You could be a tad softer but I guess this will do." He could almost hear her smile "Let us go then, Dante."

"Where are we going?" He asked, marching towards the portal.

"Earth," She said, shocking him further "There is a peculiar place in the mortal plane where Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils, humans, and the supernatural cohabit in tense peace. Not the kind of place I would want to go but considering the alternatives, it is better than anything else."

"Angels and Devils alongside humans? Surely you jest…" Dante commented, frowning at the mere thought of such a thing.

"Seeing is believing." She told him cryptically.

The Crusader said nothing more and simply stared at the portal: In truth, he would rather stay here in Purgatory, cleansing his self from his past transgressions and sins but on the other hand, Ophis' proposal sounded extremely interesting. Dante found himself debating whether or not was prudent to accept her help: As far as he was concerned, she was no demon but at the same time, she wasn't human like him or anything he had seen before; And that was enough to plunder his mind in doubt.

'_I wish you were here to guide me, Virgil…' _The Crusader lamented, remembering the valuable lessons he had learned from the poet '_Beatrice, what should I do?'_ At his question, the Cross hummed, reassuring and calming the storm in his mind.

Was this another heavenly trail he had to complete? Was this a ploy crafted by Satan? Or was this just a mirage his tired mind had conceived to pass the boredom? He had no way of knowing but as he felt Ophis' warm breath on his shoulder, he knew this to be true: She was trustworthy… At least for now.

Sighing and making sure the girl was secure within his arms, he crossed the portal.

And he knew nothing more.


End file.
